Camelot

June, 509 AD

I sent a smirk back at Gwaine and asked Dallas to speed up as I steered him towards the coop jump that could be seen in the near distance placed between two trees. My horse's ears perked as he set his eyes on the target and he accelerated even more. I allowed him to stretch his strides the whole way there and then joined him in the air by lifting my butt off the saddle and moving my arms up his neck to ease the tension on the neck-rope.

I moved us out of the way as soon as we landed so that there was space for Gwaine and Fallyn to perform the same acrobatics, and they followed Dallas and I's display with a very nice attempt... that almost sent my best friend tumbling out of the saddle when he lost a stirrup in the air.

He quickly recovered his footing and then he sent me a playful glare – possibly because I was giggling at his misfortune.

"You're gettin' better, buddy," I assured him. "Y'all will be rivalling Dal n' I in no time."

Gwaine scoffed. "Please, Trae – no one could ever rival the two of you."

"Well, maybe not in this century," I conceded with a sigh as a wave of nostalgia passed through me. I sometimes do miss the intensity of the cross-country competitions we used to kick butts at back in our time.

My best friend reached over to pat my knee. "Come on, kid, let us try again."

I grinned and rubbed Dallas's neck for a second before asking him for a canter again and circling back towards the jump.

We spent some ten more minutes going over different jumps, and when the horses seemed to have had their fair share of exercise, we cooled them off as we returned to the spot where we last saw Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen. They joined us on the ride, claiming that they'd stop for a picnic while my best friend and I competed for who could break our necks first (according to my brother).

We found them sitting on a picnic cloth in the middle of the forest.

Arthur and Gwen chatted animatedly while Merlin was looking off in the distance, a concerned look on his face. I shared a confused look with Gwaine and we promptly hopped off our horses and untacked them before plopping down on the picnic cloth. Arthur was quick to draw me to his side and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"You okay, Merls?" I asked when my brother didn't even acknowledge Gwaine and I. I shared a wary look with Gwen when he didn't respond. I huffed and grabbed a small pebble off the ground, flinging it his way.

Merlin started and finally turned to face me. "What?"

"You're spaced out. What's wrong?"

He gestured towards a particular tree and I followed his line of sight, tilting my head when I saw a big scorch mark with a bit of a purple hue on the trunk. "Something happened here," he stated.

"That is stags marking their territory," Arthur dismissed. No one bought that as the rest of us exchanged looks of disbelief.

"No," Merlin responded, "this was caused by magic."

I felt my King tense up beside me and I gently nudged his leg with mine. He huffed and replied to my brother, "Merlin – who knows more about hunting? Me or you?" Merlin glared at him. "It is rotting season, half the trees in the forest look like that."

A quick glance around the rest of the forest will show to anyone with a working brain cell that his statement is untrue. Another look of annoyance passed between my friends and I, which my King seemed entirely oblivious to.

Merlin huffed and stood up, moving closer to the tree. He inspected it for a few moments, and then he crouched to pick something off the ground, instantly hiding it in a pocket inside his jacket. Curiosity was instantly sparked within me, but I knew I shouldn't say anything yet because, with stuff like that, it's often better to keep Arthur in the dark. So I exchanged a nod with him – a silent agreement that we'd talk about it later.

We entered the castle's courtyard to find an unexpected (and slightly worrying) sight. A bunch of what people in this time refer to as 'peasants' were gathered sitting on the ground, with Gaius, Daegal, and a bunch of knights tending to them. I could spot bruises and cuts on some of the people, and my stomach churned when I saw a little boy with a purple eye.

"What happened?" Arthur questioned Leon, who was the first one to come towards us.

"They sought sanctuary at the western garrison," he informed.

I shared a wary look with my brother before hopping off Dallas and moving closer to my King, who'd also dismounted his horse.

"Ashwick has been at peace since my father's time," Arthur noted.

"They are not from Ashwick," Leon responded. "They fled over the borders from Odin's land."

Arthur called for a council meeting so that everyone could be brought up to speed with what is going on; so my brother and Gwen were kind enough to take care of the horses while my King, Gwaine and I hurried to get inside the castle.

In the end, it would've made no difference if I'd hung back to tend to Dallas because the council took long to gather and Merlin and Gwen rejoined us by the time the meeting finally commenced.

"Two days ago, the city of Helva was attacked," Leon explained in a grave tone. "Only a handful of people managed to escape."

"Who is responsible?" Arthur questioned.

Leon sighed. "At first we assumed it was a band of rogue Saxons. They have been active in that area before, but the refugees tell a different story..." He paused to gulp. "They say magic was involved."

Morgana and Thanata must be wreaking havoc again... All they're doing is setting back my efforts to make Camelot tolerant to magic people again!

I shared an annoyed look with my brother.

"Morgana?" my King echoed my thoughts.

"The evidence suggests so, Sire," Leon responded, his tone soft and cautious.

"Strengthen the garrison. Double the patrol on the border," Arthur instructed.

"Sire," the knight nodded and motioned for the rest to follow.

Gwaine patted my shoulder as he passed by me, giving me a sympathetic look.

The room was soon emptied except for Arthur, Merlin, Gwen and I.

"Why would Morgana attack Helva?" my brother wondered.

My King shrugged. "She must have her reasons."

"That's one of the few places where magic is practiced freely. Why would she attack her own?" Merlin pondered.

"'Cause she's after power, remember?" I responded with a pointed look. "She stopped caring about 'her own' long ago."

"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked with a slight tilt of his head.

"She's always been after the throne... Well not always, but for some time. If she truly cared about magic people, she's smart enough to know that using magic against you will only harden your heart against the cause," I explained what I could without revealing anything about my fun fool's errand from a bit over a year ago.

I got approving nods from Merlin and Gwen.

I gasped when Arthur suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed my body against his. "You are incredibly intelligent, did you know that?" he asked in a whisper that sent shivers down my spine.

"Yes," I responded while pushing away from him and sending my friends an apologetic look.

The afternoon found Gwaine, Merlin, Gwen, Daegal and I gathered with Gaius in his apartment, sharing a warm snack (we finally figured out how to make popcorn without making a mess!) while the physician examined the item that my brother picked up in the forest.

It's a medallion with an engraved image in the centre that looks kinda like four fleur-de-lis put together, surrounded by repeated circular patterns.

"The workmanship is undeniable," Gaius stated. "See how the pattern repeats in each concentric circle? It is made in Helva."

His inner Wikipedia is always puzzling and amazing.

"Anything else?" Merlin questioned. "A name or date?"

"Not that I can see," Gaius responded. "It is a fine piece, no one would part with it willingly... Perhaps one of the refugees dropped it."

"Pops, not to be insensitive, but did you see the people out there? I doubt they could afford something like that when they have families to feed," I interjected.

"She is right," Gwaine said.

"We should go back to where I found it," Merlin decided, standing up and moving to grab a satchel bag from the work table.

"I doubt the owner will still be there," Gaius commented.

"Something terrible happened there, Gaius," Merlin responded. "Something only the strongest magic could do. I could feel it."

"Let's go, then," I said as Ι stood up as well.

"I will go with him, you should stay here," Gwaine countered.

"Why?"

"So that your husband doesn't start asking questions," Merlin responded with a pointed look.

I scoffed and turned to Gwen, hoping that she might be on my side.

"They have a point, Astra," she responded apologetically.

"I miss being single," I grumbled as I let myself fall back on my seat.

Gwaine squeezed my shoulder while chuckling under his breath, and then he and Merlin headed out of the apartment.

"Be careful!" I called after them. The last thing we need is for them to also get kidnapped and Winter Soldier'ed. I think I'd really lose my sanity then.

I sat on the windowsill with Salem on my lap and my copy of 'Sense And Sensibility' in my hands as I divided my attention between reading and looking out at the courtyard while waiting for Merlin and Gwaine to get back. Hopefully with more clues so that we might be able to catch the witches' play before anyone else can get hurt.

Night fell upon the lands some two hours ago and I was starting to get anxious. It's definitely a terrible idea to be out in the woods in the dark.

"Astraea – come here," Arthur demanded in a whiny voice from his place on the bed.

I could feel his stare on the side of my face, but I didn't turn to him, knowing that if I did, I might get lost in his eyes and forget about the important matters at hand. So I simply hummed in response.

"Astra, come on, I have not been with you all day!" he pressed.

"We're together right now, aren't we?" I responded in a mumble, my eyes stuck to the pages in my hands even if I wasn't really paying attention to the words.

I got no response and I grinned to myself a little, proud to have won the short-lived argument.

I frowned when I heard a soft thud some moments later and I looked up. My eyes widened when I saw that Arthur had taken off his shirt and was now standing tall and proud beside the bed, a smirk playing on his lips.

"What are you doin'?" I questioned with a snort and I didn't hold back as I scanned his perfect figure.

"Persuading you," he replied a second before he started striding over to me.

"But you're gonna disturb Salem," I argued. I can't very well tell him what I'm actually waiting on. "I'll be there as soon as he gets off me."

To my shock (and slight amusement), he picked up the cat, who instantly protested with a meow, and he carried him out of the room. "Go bother Leon," I heard him say. Then he returned to me and gave me another smirk when I narrowed my eyes at him.

I almost made a joke on how it's no wonder that Morgana hates us, if that's how he treats his siblings; but I held it back and simply rolled my eyes before returning my attention to my novel.

A second later, he snatched the book away and placed it on the desk before scooping me up in his arms.

"Artie!" I protested as I tried to free myself. But, obviously, I'm no match for his strength, and soon he was placing me down on the bed and climbing on top of me, his arms trapping me as he intertwined his hands with mine. Our eyes connected and I sighed shakily when I saw the familiar soft look in his gaze that always makes my guts melt. It's kinda concerning that he can overpower me so easily.

I gulped under his intense stare. "Well, are ya' gonna kiss me or what?"

He brushed his nose against mine and I let out another shaky sigh, wishing that he'd just do it, but then he pulled back and smirked. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

Freaking jerk is trying to tease me!

"I'm indifferent, really," I responded with a slight shrug. "I just figured, y'know, since you were so insistent on getting me here..."

"We can do other things without kissing," he stated, his stare now turning fiery.

I blinked rapidly for a moment, trying to appear unaffected despite the furious blush that I felt flooding my face. Then I gave him an innocent grin. "Like go to sleep? Sounds like a plan!"

I slipped my hands out of his and scooted slightly backwards towards the pillows, and I rolled onto my stomach before closing my eyes while letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Astra!" Arthur growled, and I was suddenly being tickled to death.

"No! Stop!" I cried in between laughs, trying to fight him off as I rolled onto my back again, but he swiftly pinned my hands above my head, leaving me defenceless as he continued the attack on my ribs.

"Admit that you want me," he demanded with a cute chuckle.

"Dude, we're married, what do you think?!"

"Say it then!"

A knock on the door was my saviour, and I scrambled away from Arthur when he got distracted for a moment.

"I win!" I chirped before rushing outside.

Gwen seemed puzzled when she lay eyes on me and I hurried to tame my hair and smooth out my hoodie. "It's not what it looks like," I assured her. "He was just tickling me."

"You really do not have to explain, Astra," she stated. I froze for a second, then I shrugged. "Gwaine and Merlin are back."

"Oh, goody, let's go!"

Back in the physician's chambers, the boys revealed that they found an abandoned carriage with some items lying around – most of them generic, except for a torn document that Merlin managed to piece back together.

"It is in Catha, that is for sure," Gaius noted as he carefully inspected the paper.

"What does it say?" my brother inquired.

The physician sighed and he responded in a mumble, "It has been so long since I heard the language, never mind read it."

A minute or so went by in silence as Gaius used a magnifying glass to look at the letters.

"There is part of a signature here," he said. Then his eyes widened and he looked up at the rest of us with a troubled look.

"Did someone manage to get RDJ's autograph, or somethin'?" I tried a joke, but all it earned me were a bunch of pointed looks. "Tough crowd."

"Alator," Gaius revealed.

My jaw dropped. "The cool dude that saved us from those b*tches when they kidnapped you?!"

Gaius nodded. "That is why Morgana attacked Helva. Alator was the prize she was after."

"Why? What is so important about him?" Gwaine wondered.

I casted a glance towards the closed door of the room in which Daegal now slept and responded in a whisper, "'Cause he knows that Merls is Emrys."

My heart started to race a little. We only just averted the crisis that would be Morgana discovering this when we saved Gwen!

"Alator would never betray us," Merlin stated.

"Not willingly," Gaius conceded, "but Morgana will use every power she has to break him, and even Cathas cannot resist forever."

I gulped. "We gotta save 'em, then."

Merlin sighed shakily and nodded in agreement.

"But Morgana could get to you, too!" Gwen protested, moving to grip Merlin's arm.

"It's a risk we're gonna have to take," I argued. "We can't just leave him there to suffer."

"We will return to that site tomorrow and we will start from there," Gwaine decided with a determined nod.

"I won't be benched this time around, guys," I said.

"You have to be careful, Astra," Gaius said sternly. "You are still the queen."

"Yeah, which means that I have to do everything in my power to protect my allies. Especially when I owe them my life."

"Astra–"

"It also means that you can't stop me," I added with a wink and drummed my hands on the table before standing up and heading towards the door. "I'll see y'all tomorrow!"

Gwaine, Merlin and I set out on horseback before sunrise so that we wouldn't alert anyone of our departure, which meant that no questions would be asked. As usual, Gwen and Gaius agreed to cover for us when Arthur inevitably realises that we're gone.

We arrived at the site of the abandoned carriage and Gwaine instantly identified a trail left by its wheels.

"Maybe we can follow it n' find out where it came from," I suggested. "Someone there has to know something."

"Or it could be a trap," Gwaine worried.

"You think the witches are baitin' us?" I asked.

"As far as she knows, Alator is Emrys's ally. If there is a trail, she might be hoping to lure Emrys and the Shadow there," he explained in a very low whisper.

I sighed and responded in the same tone, "And if we show up wantin' to rescue 'em..."

"She will have her answer in a heartbeat," Merlin completed.

I huffed in frustration before suggesting, "So we'll just go in in our superhero costumes."

An elderly woman with wide blue eyes suddenly appeared from behind some bushes, startling the crap out of the three of us. My heart started to pound against my chest out of fear that she might've heard something, and I shared a wary look with my companions before addressing her, "Y'know, ma'am, it's not nice to spy on people."

"I am on your side," she declared... but anyone can say that, so I wasn't really made less uneasy by her statement. "I am a friend of Alator," she continued, her eyes fixing on my brother, "and I have a message for you, Emrys."

"What is it?" Merlin questioned while narrowing his eyes at her.

The woman glanced around warily and shook her head after a moment. "Not here. Emrys, Shadow – meet me tonight at the old temple of Earu." She casted a stern glance towards Gwaine and stated, "The two of them alone." With that, she disappeared among the wilderness.

"Well, that wasn't bizarre at all," I quipped.

"Should we trust her?" Gwaine wondered.

"She didn't look evil..." I responded.

"I think we should take a chance," Merlin stated. "She might be our only hope to save Alator."

"How can we know if she truly knows him?" Gwaine questioned. "She could have heard what we were talking about."

"Unlikely," I countered. "She's old and we were whispering."

"Maybe there's a spell that amplifies sounds?" he suggested.

I sighed. "Maybe... but I'm willing to risk it. We'll figure out something if things go sideways."

"We have to at least try," Merlin agreed with a nod.

"All right, then," Gwaine relented.

"Okay, well, it wasn't easy, but I managed to change the patrolling schedule and gave Gwainester and I the afternoon shift for the Darkling Woods," I informed my friends when I had a chance to gather them in my room. We decided not to tell Gaius about the elderly lady, fearing that he might try to stop us. "All you'll have to do is make sure no one knows you stayed behind," I told my best friend.

"You're cunning, kid," he praised, offering me a high-five.

I delivered and gave him a wink. "You know it."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Gwen worried as she glanced between my brother and I.

"No," Merlin dead-panned.

Her eyes widened, but she didn't say anything else as she sat down at the dining table, sighing in defeat.

I put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle pat. "Sorry, Gwennie. We gotta take this shot."

"I know, I understand," she responded and sent me a very clearly forced grin.

I puffed and dug three coloured ribbons out of my pocket – which I acquired earlier in the lower town. "Okay, so, if we're not back or haven't sent word before 7:00 tomorrow, y'all can send the cavalry to search for us," I started to explain Merlin and I's plan for communication. "If Merls sends a bird with a green ribbon, it means we're fine and will be back soon. If he sends one with a blue ribbon, it means that we need Gwaine. And if he sends one with a red ribbon, it means that we're in trouble and need Camelot's mightiest heroes."

"That is genius," Gwen said.

I exchanged a grin and a high-five with my brother as I responded, "We know."

With that settled, I put on my best innocent grin and went to say goodbye to Arthur. He did question why I'll be going out, but I don't think he even suspects that I might've changed the schedule for a reason and, after a lengthy kiss and a sweet exchange of "I love you," he released me to my 'patrolling duty'.

I let out a long exhale as I reunited with my brother in the horse paddocks. "He's the sweetest human ever, I'm gonna burn in hell," I mumbled as I started to brush Dallas.

"The sweetest human ever smacked me earlier because I accidentally forgot one of his shirts in the laundry room," Merlin retorted.

I paused my movements and blinked rapidly for a couple of moments. "Okay, I feel better now," I said and returned my attention to readying Dallas.

Five minutes later, my brother and I blazed away from the castle.

Merlin expertly led the way towards this 'Temple of Earu' while I followed silently while warily glancing around the dark, foggy forest that surrounded us. I know the place like the back of my hand at this point, but that doesn't make it any bit less eerie – especially with the knowledge that Morgana and/or Thanata could be lurking in the shadows, ready to exterminate us. A shiver ran down my spine and I tangled my fingers in my horse's mane in search of comfort.

"I kinda miss when mean kids at school were my biggest worry," I noted in a whisper, earning a breathy chuckle from my brother.

About a half-hour later, we arrived at a ruined stone building that maintained some of its architectural charms, mostly in the form of three-pointed arches and columns that were ornamented with nature-inspired carvings.

We dismounted our horses and left them near the entrance before linking arms and slowly moving inside.

In the middle of what must've been the biggest chamber in the building when it had walls and a roof stood the elderly woman from earlier with her back to us as she... did something. It looked like some sort of prayer, but I can't be too sure.

She must've sensed our presence, for she turned around and instantly dropped to her knees and bowed her head. "Great One! Your majesty!"

My eyes widened in surprise and I held my breath. "Woah."

"Please, that's not necessary," Merlin quickly told her, looking very uncomfortable. I sighed in relief when the woman stood up.

"It is a pleasure to meet you once more, Emrys, queen Astraea. My name is Finna," she said.

She had a strange glint in her eyes as she regarded us. Her demeanour made it completely obvious in my mind that she really is on our side and I gave her a little grin.

"Alator sends you greetings, but also a warning," Finna continued in a slightly shaky voice. "The great battle nears... The fate of Camelot rests in the balance... Only you, great Emrys, and your Shadow, can ensure the great triumph of the Once and Future King."

So... nothing we haven't been told already. Still, the words caused my body to tense up. "Can't we just avoid the battle?" I inquired

"I am afraid not," Finna replied while giving us a sympathetic look. "It is inevitable. But you can change the prophesied outcome."

Merlin was about to reply, but a bunch of rough male shouts cut him off and we shared a wide-eyed glance.

"Run!" I whisper-yelled as Ι gently nudged Finna towards a back entrance to the temple, and the three of us dashed deeper into the woods.

I could faintly make out some torches dancing in between the trees behind us, and I could only pray that the horses would have the sense to get away from the scene.

"Morgana must have found us," Merlin commented.

"Fan-freaking-tastic," I grumbled.

Unfortunately for us, Finna couldn't run very quickly; so it wasn't long before the men started to close in on us.

"Keep going! I'll hold them back!" Merlin said.

"Are you nuts?! You'll reveal yourself! Morgana can't know you have magic!" I retorted while loading my bow. "You keep goin', I'll get rid of them."

"No way!" he countered.

"Fine, we'll do it together!" I relented. That seemed to float his boat a little more. "Finna, keep going, we'll catch up!" I told the woman, who responded with a frightened nod and kept running while Merlin and I skidded to a stop.

We had a huge advantage in that the men's torches indicated exactly where they were standing, while we could hide in the darkness of the forest.

"Yippee-kayak, other buckets!" I chirped and smirked as I shot at one of them. A loud screech informed me that my arrow hit its target.

Merlin chuckled beside me and then he spoke a spell that sent two of the men flying backwards, while I shot at another man. There must've been about a dozen of them – and we managed to get rid of them all. 'Cause we're awesome.

"There will be more," Finna pointed out. I turned towards her and raised an unamused eyebrow. I thought I told her to run! "Morgana must not find either of you."

"Well, we're not leavin' you alone," I told her.

"Is there anywhere we could go?" Merlin questioned.

"There is an old watchtower on the other side of the valley," Finna responded. "We might be safe there until morning comes."

I exchanged a nod of silent agreement with my brother. "Sounds good," he responded to the woman, who promptly began to lead the way.

Some twenty minutes later, said watchtower could be seen in the distance. It wasn't too big – maybe about the size of an average lighthouse. Only, y'know, it was made of stone and looked a bit weathered; but it wasn't anything that suggested it might collapse at any given second, so it was good enough for us.

I could see Finna starting to grow weary as we climbed the seemingly endless spiral staircase that leads towards the top of the tower and my heart twisted at the sight. While her physical condition might be great, her age is obviously a slight handicap. So the three of us agreed to rest for a few minutes.

"How do you know this tower?" Merlin inquired.

Finna sighed and responded in between wheezes, "When you have spent a lifetime running... you know all the places... to hide."

I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that she's referring to the fact that she is part of a community known for their magic.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm trying hard to make things better... But Arthur..." I trailed off when she placed a gentle hand on top of mine.

"I know... That is why I was sent... To help the two of you make it better," she stated.

Merlin and I shared a small grin.

I started when the barking of dogs in the distance reached my ears.

"Crap. I think they found us," I whispered. My heart started to bang against my chest again. If they come in, there's nowhere to run!

My brother helped Finna to her feet. "Come on. We need to find a room to hide in."

She struggled a little, but managed to keep up with us as we continued climbing the tower.

We made it to a room and I shut the door once everyone was inside, locking it instantly.

The space was dusty and had a bunch of wooden materials scattered about. It was fairly dark, since there were only small openings around that let in only the faintest hints of moonlight. But we're alive.

I sighed and let myself collapse to the ground, sitting with my back pressed against the door. My companions sat down as well and we exchanged nods, silently confirming that we're all okay.

"Why are you doing this for us?" Merlin asked Finna.

"Without you, Arthur cannot build the new world we all long for," she responded, her voice sounding much weaker than the last time I heard it.

My brother and I shared a concerned glance.

"So we keep hearing, but we're not sure how," I confessed. "Things are always going sideways... Are we on the right path?"

Finna gave us a small smile and she pulled a little ornamented wooden box from a bag she was carrying, handing it to Merlin. "For hundreds of years... the Catha have guarded their ancient knowledge," she explained. "But now... the time has come to pass it on to you, Emrys... For only you can carry their hopes... into the great battle itself."

I tilted my head as I observed the little box, sharing a confused glance with my brother. Could it have, like, a sort of ancient USB inside? 'Cause, otherwise, I fail to see how it could contain great knowledge.

"Guard it carefully," Finna instructed. "It will help you in the dark days to come."

"Thank you," Merlin responded, offering a small grin.

"There is something else... that Alator himself wanted me to tell you," Finna spoke again, her half-open eyes darting between the two of us. "Remain mindful of the druid boy... Even if... his destiny may not be written... in stone."

Man, poor Mordred. Does he even know about these dumb prophecies? I hope not. He doesn't need to burden himself with them. He's as good-natured as Gwaine or Leon.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps reached us and the three of us shared frightened glances. Someone began to pound on the door and I scrambled to get away from it as my heart-rate sky-rocketed.

Between Merlin and I, we helped Finna to her feet and supported her as we climbed another staircase that connected the room we were in with another room higher up the tower. I locked the door to that one as well while my brother gently set the woman on the ground once more.

Realising that she really wasn't doing well with the demanding task that is hiding from villains, I kneeled down next to her and placed a hand on her arm, allowing my eyes to scan her face. It had acquired a scary shade of red and her veins popped out.

I started at a loud bang coming from below, and hurried footsteps told me that the men were still heading our way.

"You two must go on," Finna stated, her voice barely above a whisper now.

Merlin and I shared a worried look. "There is nowhere else to go," he pointed out.

"There is... a roof," she responded. "You will be safe there."

"How?" my brother asked with a tilt of his head.

"They think I... am alone," she answered. "Once they have me... they will go."

My eyes widened as I protested, "No way!"

"We won't leave you Finna. We will fight them together," Merlin stated.

"No, I will hold you back," she said and shook her head slightly. "If Morgana sees us together... she will know who you are... That must never happen."

"Finna," I said with a heavy sigh, my stomach twisting at the thought of losing another friend.

"Finna, please..." Merlin echoed softly.

She grabbed us by a hand each, giving us a small smile. "It is my destiny to serve you... until the end... I could wish for nothing more." My brother and I shared a teary-eyed glance. "Go on, children... it is all right," Finna pressed.

I gulped to try to ease the lump in my throat as I stood up. I looked down at myself and unsheathed my sword, then I crouched again to give it to the woman. "Here. To give you a fightin' chance."

"Thank you, dear," she said. "Now go."

I grabbed my brother's hand and clenched my jaw hard to try to hold back the tears that were rapidly overflowing my eyes as we moved towards the next staircase.

"It has been a privilege to know you both," Finna called after us.

"Y-you, too," I responded shakily.

"And thank you," Merlin added.

Merlin and I made it back home in the early hours of the morning – just before sunrise – after we reunited with the horses in the woods. We hurried to inform Gaius, Gwen and Gwaine that we were back, and then we split up.

I headed straight for my room, eager to have a bath and wash off all the blood and dirt that stained me after we carried Finna's deceased body off the tower to give her a proper burial.

Not caring that the day was just about to begin, I put on a set of PJs and quietly entered Arthur's room, then I climbed beside him on the bed and curled up against his side. The movement woke him and he was quick to wrap me in his arms, kissing the top of my head.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"Me, too," I responded in the same manner, not looking up out of fear that he would spot the remorse in my eyes.

"Are you all right?"

"Just tired."

"Go to sleep, then," he commanded softly while pressing me closer to his body. "I will be right here."

It was around 11:00 when I woke up again, and I changed back into normal clothes and had a quick breakfast before seeking out Merlin, knowing that we need to figure out what is in the box that Finna gave him.

We gathered our friends in the physician's apartment and my brother finally opened the box to reveal a folded piece of paper with a red seal holding it together. He extended it, only to find unintelligible hieroglyphs written on it.

"I think you're up, Pops," I said with a sigh. Merlin promptly handed the paper to Gaius.

Gaius inspected it closely while the rest of us exchanged wary looks. I held my breath in anticipation as I watched the physician work, my heart pounding in fear of whatever the text might say.

"'Let loose the hounds of war,'" Gaius finally spoke. "'Let the dread fire of the last priestess rain down from angry skies... For brother will slaughter brother... For friend will murder friend... As the great horn sounds a cold dawn at Camlann... The prophets do not lie... There Arthur will meet his end... upon that mighty plain.'"

I let my head drop onto my arms on the table when my airways suddenly squeezed themselves shut. Merlin pulled me closer to his side and wrapped arm around my torso. I hugged him tightly and fought to take in deep breaths.

"We can stop it, can't we?" I asked in a wheezed whisper.

"We will," Merlin assured me. "We will do whatever it takes."

"All of us," Gwaine added as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I sighed shakily and nodded while sniffling.

"There was never anyone more capable than you, children," Gaius pitched in. "You will not fail."

Gwen was about to say something, but she was cut off by the loud ringing of the warning bells. I shared a look with Gwaine and I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before we both rushed out of the apartment. Knight protocol dictates that it's kind of our job to deal with whatever might be going on.

We ran into Percival, Leon and Mordred in the courtyard, who were carrying a seemingly dead knight whose face I couldn't see as the upper half of his body had been covered with a white sheet. Gwaine instantly moved to help them and I followed with a racing heart as they took the unfortunate man to Gaius.

"We got here as fast as we could," Leon stated as the quartet laid the man down on the work table.

"You did well," Gaius replied as he pulled back the sheet, revealing a faceless person. Literally. It's as if someone had taken an eraser and rubbed it all over his features until only rugged skin remained. I recoiled at the sight and darted to my brother's side again, clutching his arm tightly as my breathing grew laboured once more.

"Where did this happen?" the physician questioned the knights.

Percival sighed heavily. "We found him just inside the border."

"Daegal – fetch my gloves please," the physician called out to his apprentice, who was just descending the staircase to the room he now shares with Merlin.

Daegal nodded and dashed towards a set of drawers.

"Do you know what it is?" Percival asked as Gaius inspected the dead man more closely.

"I fear so," he responded. "The skin has grown across his face until he suffocated."

I squeezed my eyes shut at the disturbing mental image that his words created, only opening them when I heard another set of heavy footsteps enter the room. My body instantly released some tension at the sight of Arthur and I moved towards him, sighing when he pulled me into his arms and he gently held my head to his chest, shielding me from the awful view of the dead man.

"Gaius – what happened?" he then asked, sounding reasonably alarmed.

"This disfigurement is not a result of disease or infection... It is the result of powerful magic," the physician pointed out the obvious. "In the old days, it was a punishment known as 'ragaid' – the ultimate warning from the high priestess to her enemies."

I tightened my grip on Arthur when my body began to tremble and I swallowed a whimper. He gently ran a hand up and down my back.

"Why was this knight chosen? What had he done?" he wondered.

"He had done nothing, except be a knight of Camelot," Gaius responded. "It is a warning Sire. A warning to the whole kingdom..."

I held my breath as I turned to look at the physician again, my heart racing at a speed far greater than anything I've ever experienced.

"Morgana has declared war."